- Bomb threats target at least 12 more European flights
Source: Politico
“At least 12 European flights were targeted by bomb threats Thursday, following seven similar incidents earlier in the week in which authorities found no explosives. … The risk of someone successfully smuggling a bomb aboard an airplane is low, said Jan-Arwed Richter, CEO of JACDEC, an aviation-safety analysis firm.” (11/05/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/more-european-flights-targeted-by-bomb-threats
- SCOTUS: Alito reiterates he’s not retiring, is committed through end of current term
Source: Fox News
“Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed to Fox News that he has no plans to retire and is committed through at least the current term, which is set to end in late June. Alito made the statement Thursday amid speculation about the future of the Supreme Court after a disastrous GOP performance in the midterm elections. When the new congressional term begins in January, Democrats will be in firm control of the Senate, with predictions, including from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, that this will not change for at least six years. That would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for President Donald Trump to fill any potential vacancy with a conservative after this year. After Justice Clarence Thomas, 78, Alito is the oldest member of the Supreme Court at 76 years old.” (11/05/26)
- Trump urges Congress to pass daylight saving bill after “ridiculous” early sunset
Source: The Hill
“President Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, after the day’s ‘ridiculous’ early sunset. ‘Too bad the Senate has not yet approved the Sunshine Protection Act or, the ‘I Don’t Want to Change My Clocks Anymore Act,” he wrote on Truth Social. ‘It’s so dark outside, so early (Sunset was 5:06 P.M., and it was dark by 5:31 P.M. — Isn’t that ridiculous?). Just a few days ago it was so nice and sunny at this same time.’ Trump has been a big proponent of the bill, which the House passed earlier this year but the Senate has yet to pick it up. The bill would end the semiannual clock change.” (11/04/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6199783-trump-calls-congress-daylight-saving/
- Shares in Musk’s SpaceX plunge as tech and AI stocks fall
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Shares in Elon Musk’s SpaceX have plunged as tech and artificial intelligence stocks more broadly plummeted a day after the Democrats swept to victory in the midterms. Those losses dragged the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite stock index down, which had fallen by more than 5% at one point in early trading. The market has been reacting to possible tougher scrutiny of data centre construction and the artificial intelligence (AI) industry following Democrat wins in key data centre states including Texas. Following the election, some tech leaders have acknowledged they need to improve their communication around data centres and the benefits of AI. SpaceX shares were down more than 7% in early trading on Thursday, while Tesla shares dropped more than 9%.” (11/05/26)
- Hong Kong: Political prisoner’s sentence extended by ten years
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“Jailed Hong Kong opposition activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars for his role in a global campaign to instigate sanctions against mainland China and the city in the aftermath of the 2019 anti-government protests. The High Court ruled on Thursday that Wong and fugitive ex-lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung had partly contributed to the imposition of sanctions and adverse measures against mainland and Hong Kong officials which significantly undermined national security. The 30-year-old, who earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, had been scheduled to complete a sentence of four years and eight months for conspiracy to commit subversion on January 7 next year.” (11/05/26)
- Kenya: Death toll rises to eight in Nairobi collapsed building tragedy after more bodies found
Source: SFGate
“Six bodies were retrieved from the debris of a building in Kenya’s capital on Thursday, two weeks after the deadly collapse, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight as police said recovery operations were nearing completion. Sixteen people are still believed to be missing since the building fell on Oct. 23. Four people were rescued alive from the 18-story building, which collapsed along a busy commercial street in Nairobi, while its upper floors were still under construction. The ground and basement floors had been rented out to businesses, including an electronics shop, a grocery store, a textile shop and a butchery. Nairobi County Gov. Johnson Sakaja said the building had not been approved for construction and that the renting out of the completed floors was also illegal.” (11/05/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/death-toll-rises-to-5-in-nairobi-collapsed-22513512.php
- US regime sanctions Indian and Turkish firms accused of helping Iran
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“The United States has imposed sanctions on companies and individuals in India and Turkiye that it accuses of helping Iran get around restrictions on its oil exports and its airlines. The US Department of the Treasury said on Wednesday that the measures target a ‘vast criminal network’ run by Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, who are based in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. Two other Indian nationals who head the couple’s businesses and nine entities linked to Sharma were also sanctioned. According to the Treasury, the couple falsely claimed to represent the maritime authorities of countries including Guyana, Eswatini and Laos.” (11/05/26)
- Sources: Harmeet Dhillon set to resign as top DOJ civil rights official
Source: New York Post
“Department of Justice civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon plans to resign as soon as Thursday after the GOP took a shellacking in the 2026 midterm elections, sources familiar with the situation told The Post. Dhillon, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, has helmed the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division since April 2025, handling the Trump administration’s probes of US universities, hate crimes at houses of worship and election integrity efforts. The civil rights chief told ‘Pod Force One’ host Miranda Devine in December that she was proud to oversee ‘the biggest single personnel self-purge in DOJ history.’ Nearly 70% of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division workforce quit, either over differences with the administration or in response to offers of payouts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) payouts.” (11/05/26)
- The Pitt and ER are similar enough for lawsuit to proceed, judge rules
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“US drama ‘The Pitt’ is similar enough to medical series ‘ER’ for a lawsuit against its producers to progress, a court in the US has ruled. The widow of Michael Crichton, who created ‘ER’, argues ‘The Pitt’ is effectively a reboot of the series, which has been made without proper permission or credit. Sherri Crichton says her husband’s contract included a ‘frozen rights’ provision that prohibited any spin-offs, sequels or reboots of ER being made without his express consent. A three-judge panel said there are ‘clear and numerous similarities between The Pitt and ER’, which means the case can go ahead. Warner Bros previously described the lawsuit as ‘baseless’ and sought to have it dismissed. Listing the similarities between the two shows, the court cited the emergency room setting, the fast pace, use of medical jargon, graphic depictions of injuries, and younger doctors fresh from medical school being trained.” (11/05/26)
- Vatican: Pope Leo XIV meets with Bob Dylan
Source: United Press International
“American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan visited Pope Leo XIV at the pontiff’s residence on Wednesday as part of the Vatican’s wider effort to create a bridge between the Catholic Church and popular culture. The Vatican News said the visit between the two men was brief and included a few lighthearted exchanges. Pope Leo gave Dylan a rosary and the singer gifted the pontiff a copy of his book Chronicles: Volume One. … Pope Leo quoted Dylan’s 1963 song ‘Go Away You Bomb’ in the preface of a printed collection of his speeches and reflections released in July.” (11/04/26)
https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2026/11/04/vatican-city-bob-dylan-pope-leo/8351793826241/
- Alaska, Mississippi Senate races separated by razor-thin vote margins
Source: Fox News
“Races between the candidates for U.S. Senate in Alaska and Mississippi are separated by razor-thin margins days after polls closed in the crucial midterm elections. In Mississippi, where 95.6% of the votes have been counted, according to the Associated Press, Democratic candidate Scott Colom leads incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith [R-MS], 464,926 votes to 463,788, as of Thursday morning. In Alaska, former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, leads incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan [R-AK] by less than 700 votes. While Alaska still has a quarter of its votes to count, according to the AP, if the gap between Peltola and Sullivan remains this slim, the introduction of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan will loom large in post-election analyses.” (11/05/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/alaska-mississippi-senate-races-separate-razor-thin-vote-margins
- CA: Connie Chan concedes to Scott Wiener in San Francisco congressional race
Source: SFGate
“San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan conceded her race for Congress on Wednesday evening, as state Sen. Scott Wiener continued to pull ahead in vote totals after voting concluded Tuesday. That puts Wiener on track to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi despite her endorsement for his opponent. Chan posted a message to X and shared a statement with CNN, writing: ‘While we expect the margin to narrow significantly, we do not have a clear path to victory. I congratulate Scott Wiener on his election and wish him success in serving San Francisco.’ The latest vote totals released Wednesday afternoon by the San Francisco Department of Elections had Wiener ahead with more than 55% of the vote. The New York Times estimated that 57% of votes have been counted.” (11/04/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/scott-wiener-sf-congress-22513116.php
- ICE Was Secretly Ordered to Stop All Immigration Raids on Election Day
Source: The Intercept
“Orders for what one official called a ‘national no enforcement day’ began circulating on Monday inside U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Handed down through ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division through internal group chats and verbal commands, the directive called for a halt to all immigration enforcement operations on Election Day, according to ICE officials across the country who spoke to The Intercept. … According to multiple ICE officials who spoke to The Intercept, the orders were handed down quietly to avoid media attention.” (11/04/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/11/04/ice-orders-stop-election-day/
- The Annual Fundraiser Strikes Back
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Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily - France: Unions Unite for Nationwide Strikes
Source: US News & World Report
“French trade unions are joining forces on Thursday for nationwide strikes and demonstrations for higher wages and in support of the high school protest movement, piling new pressure on the beleaguered government. After more than a month of regular and large protests across France, major rallies are again expected in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, with hundreds of thousands of people likely to turn out. Transportation chaos is expected and some schools could be shut as teachers join the strike. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that 70,000 police are being deployed, backed by armored vehicles, drones and helicopters. Police have been criticized for injuring protesters with heavy-handed tactics.” (11/05/26)
- Russia: Regime says it struck logistics and transport targets in Ukraine overnight
Sourc: Raleigh News & Observer
“The Russian military said on Thursday it hit logistics and transport targets in various regions of Ukraine overnight. In Kharkiv region, a Nova Poshta logistics hub was struck, as well as railway locomotives and an industrial building at the Thermal Power Plant 2. The logistics hub was used by Ukrainian military to assemble drones, the Russian Defence Ministry said In Dnipropetrovsk region a power station was hit.: (11/05/26)
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation-world/world/article317936360.html
- IN: State employees carry out first of three planned nationwide prisoner killings
Source: CBS News
“An Indiana man who admitted killing his girlfriend’s two children was [killed] early Thursday in the first of three lethal injections scheduled for the same day in the U.S. Jeffrey Weisheit killed the children, ages 8 and 5, by setting fire to his girlfriend’s house in the Evansville area in 2010. … Florida and Alabama were also set to carry out [prisoner killings] Thursday, which would mark the second time this year that three people in the U.S. would be put to death on the same day.” (11/05/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/3-us-executions-same-day-second-time/
- Ethiopia: Regime expels six Sudanese diplomats, orders closure of consulate
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Ethiopia has ordered six Sudanese diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours and closed Sudan’s consulate in the border town of Asosa, according to media reports. The reports on Tuesday came as tensions between the countries continue to rise, with Sudan accusing Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while Ethiopia accuses Sudan of backing rebels in its northern Tigray region. The allegations and counter-allegations, which both sides deny, have raised fears that the two wars could bleed into each other, spawning a broader conflict in the Horn of Africa.” (11/04/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/4/sudan-ethiopia-order-tit-for-tat-diplomatic-expulsions
- MS: US Senate race heads to an extended vote count and possible ballot battle
Source: NBC News
“The Mississippi Senate race may take days to resolve, as Democrat Scott Colom leads GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 65 votes in the current vote count. And as votes continue to be counted, all eyes are on an unknown number of ballots that could shift the result — and lead to a very murky recount process. … Around 6,000 mail ballots appear to have been distributed but not yet been returned Monday, according to data from the Mississippi secretary of state’s office, which did not reply to a request for comment. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be counted in Mississippi if they are received by 5 p.m. Nov. 10. An unknown number of so-called affidavit ballots, also known as provisional ballots, are also outstanding.” (11/04/26)
- UK: 320,000 files leaked in Bristol schools cyber-attack
Source: Yahoo! News
“An investigation has found that 320,000 files stolen [sic] from a council’s school network have been published online following a cyber-attack on 88 schools in Bristol. Bristol City Council says a significant number of files have been made available online. It’s urgently working with Avon and Somerset Police, the South West’s regional organised crime unit and cybersecurity experts to review what information has been leaked and who exactly is affected. Schools are being issued with guidance to reduce the risks of scams and fraud that can follow a data theft. Bristol City Council say the cyber-attack happened in September and affected schools that use its Trading with Schools IT platform.” (11/04/26)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/childrens-data-leaked-criminals-bristol-085850652.html
- Way, Way Too Big to Steal
Source: Liberal Currents
by Adam Gurri“One thing is for certain: the prospects for 2028 are better than ever, and I don’t just mean the electoral math. I mean the literal security of the elections themselves. One fear that was expressed to me consistently throughout the year was that the administration would use its election interference efforts as a testing ground for what it would do in 2028. Well, those efforts were entirely pathetic and now they will have far, far fewer options in 2028 than they did this year.” (11/05/26)
- Flu Vaccine Studies: Pseudo-Randomized or Untrustworthy Results?
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Clayton J Baker, MD“Having yellow-stained fingers is associated with lung cancer, but we know that the association does not reflect causality. Yellow-stained fingers do not cause lung cancer. Rather, the association is explained by smoking — a confounder — a cause of both yellow fingers and lung cancer. Suppose a group of researchers reported that the association in question was not removed after adjustment for smoking status. Obviously, something is wrong, either in the data or in the way it was analyzed. Regardless of the reason, we will not trust any inference from that study, including the estimated effect of smoking. It is equivalent to rejecting a witness’s entire testimony after detecting a single relevant lie. That’s an analogy, of course, not a claim about intentional lying by the researchers.” (11/05/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/flu-vaccine-studies-pseudo-randomized-or-untrustworthy-results/
- Obesity — causes and cures
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie“Obesity in its modern, mass form is surprisingly recent. In America, adult rates were fairly stable at around one in seven from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. Then something changed. From about 1980 the line turned sharply upward, and by 2000 roughly three in ten adults were obese. By 2022 an estimated 107 million American adults, 42.5% of the adult population, were obese, up from 34.7 million (19.3%) in 1990. Britain followed the same curve about a decade behind. … The timing is the most useful clue. Genes did not change in 1980. Willpower did not suddenly collapse across two nations. Something in the environment shifted, and the evidence points mostly at what we eat rather than how much we move.” (11/05/26)
- Hamilton’s Counter-Revolutionary Republicanism
Source: Law & Liberty
by Michael Lucchese“Alexander Hamilton is well-remembered as a protagonist in America’s founding drama. He is celebrated widely as a war hero, foreign policy genius, architect of the economy, and framer of the Constitution. Even over the yawning distance of years, young Americans are inspired by the romance of his life. Conservatives and progressives alike claim his mantle to justify their pet projects. ‘There is an elegant memorial in Washington to Jefferson, but none to Hamilton,’ columnist George F. Will once observed. ‘However, if you seek Hamilton’s monument, look around. You are living in it.’ Though his Federalist Party failed, America became a deeply Hamiltonian country.” (11/05/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/hamiltons-counter-revolutionary-republicanism/
- Democracy Is Coming — To India and the USA?
Source: Gideon’s Substack
by Noah Millman“Acknowledging the feel that this ain’t exactly real, or it’s real but it ain’t exactly there.” (11/05/26)
https://gideons.substack.com/p/democracy-is-coming-to-india-and
- What Was Applied
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob“Yesterday, Donald Trump and the Republicans took the proverbial shellacking. We’ve seen this sort of thing before. It’s not unheard of. Americans repudiate failed programs, and Trump, who promised to keep the American people out of war did the precise opposite of what got him elected in the first place. Only by grace extended from the American people could the application of the varnish be withheld. … This could be a warning to all: the awfulness of your opponents will not stay the hand of shellac . . . er, citizen correction.” (11/05/26)
- Trump has the opportunity to change course and secure his legacy
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine“As we survey the wreckage of Republican political fortunes, it’s clear what comes next. Payback is the first priority of Democrats who want to use their victories to grind Republicans into the mud. You saw it in the gloating, Mamdani-esque victory speech from Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, in which he sarcastically referred to Vice President JD Vance as ‘habibi’ who will have to eat crow when the VP swears him in. You saw it in Minnesota Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan’s speech: ‘We will rip ICE apart.’ You saw it in the salivating from Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) about impeaching Trump. You saw it in the ugly threats against Elon Musk and ‘greedy billionaires’.” (11/05/26)
- I’ve Lost Faith in Human Progress: Have We Stalled?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Joakim Book“Housing is less affordable, governments are drowning in debt, and workers feel stuck. Has technological progress stopped translating into better lives?” (11/05/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/ive-lost-faith-in-human-progress-have-we-stalled/
- Markets Build Trust, Not Just Wealth
Source: The Daily Economy
by Logan Tantibanchachai“Markets bring together people who otherwise have little reason to cooperate. The voluntary economic relationships critics dismiss may help sustain civil society.” (11/05/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/markets-build-trust-not-just-wealth/
- The Republic We Inherited
Source: Law & Liberty
by Ilya Shapiro“Americans made it to our country’s 250th birthday without agreeing on whether the occasion calls for celebration or indictment. Some of our most influential institutions regard the Declaration of Independence as evidence for the prosecution. The men who proclaimed human equality owned slaves, don’t ya know, so the principles they proclaimed were fraudulent and the country they founded must spend its remaining days confessing its illegitimacy. A Nation Born in a Day: Visions of the American Founding offers a splendid corrective.” (11/05/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/the-republic-we-inherited/
- 2026 wasn’t the first time war swayed an election
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Martin Di Caro“If foreign policy could decide an election, then 1992 upended expectations. Barely eight months after the Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin for the last time, President George H. W. Bush found himself reminding Americans that he had led the USSR peacefully into history’s dustbin while also liberating Kuwait from the clutches of Saddam Hussein.” (11/05/26)
- The Goddess of the Nightclub
Source: Liberal Currents
by Katherine Alejandra Cross“What defines liberalism, and forever yokes it to its restive left-wing progeny, is the fundamental conviction that humanity can be improved in this life rather than the next. It’s hard to overstate how radical this idea was in the 18th and 19th centuries, and how the reaction against it still rages brushfire-hot. Indeed, there is an unbroken line between today’s cargo-cult neofascism and the earliest expressions of fundamentalist reaction. It is the battle of our time, in every hour of the modern world.” (11/05/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-goddess-of-the-nightclub/
- From Yemen to Sudan, Obama’s Catastrophe Spread Wide
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen“The casual observer could be forgiven for wondering how the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary organization notorious for atrocities in Darfur, became powerful enough to challenge the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for control of the country when its civilian government was overthrown in 2021. Believe it or not, the answer runs through the Global War on Terror, Washington’s disastrous handling of Yemen, and Barack Obama’s determination to placate Saudi Arabia. The connections might seem tenuous. They aren’t.” (11/05/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/from-yemen-to-sudan-obamas-catastrophe-spread-wide
- “Blue Wave” Means Nothing if We Don’t Stop the National Defense Authorization Act
Source: Common Dreams
by Melissa Garriga“Tuesday night’s election results proved that a majority of people in this country do not want war and genocide. Polling overwhelmingly showed that the war on Iran was one of the biggest motivating factors in voting. So why are we about to give the very people voters rejected an unprecedented $1.5 trillion budget to continue their reign of death and destruction? Why are we going to allow Congress to hand over the largest war budget in human history to weapons manufacturers and AI tech billionaires who work at the behest of known war criminals? In the next few weeks, Congress is set to pass what should be viewed as the deadliest piece of legislation of our time (the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)) or the country’s defense budget, as it is more commonly known.” (11/05/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/stop-trump-s-pentagon-budget
- Trump and the Hallmarks of 21st-Century Neo-Fascism
Source: CounterPunch
by Eric Toussaint“[R]ather than replicating the classic forms of historical fascism, Trump tends to use the state apparatus itself as an instrument of coercion to secure the loyalty of his supporters and to undermine local countervailing powers. He also seeks to control the institutions that produce and disseminate knowledge and information, to weaken countervailing powers and to impose his ideological conception of society. Trump’s imperialist policy therefore does not represent a break with US practices throughout the 20th century. On the contrary, it continues the various methods employed during that period—military interventions, coups d’état, sanctions, economic pressure, support for allied regimes, and control of strategic areas and resources—but with a notable difference in the rhetoric that accompanies them.” (11/05/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/11/05/trump-the-hallmarks-of-21st-century-neo-fascism/
- The Greatest Existential Risk of the Early 21st Century
Source: Antiwar.com
by Dan Steinbock“To dominate supply chains, the Trump administration is weaponizing the global AI race. Instead of learning from the lessons of postwar atomic regulation, the administration is reversing them, thereby paving the way for catastrophic risks.” (11/05/26)
- Gerald Gaus and the Open Society
Source: Freedom and Flourishing
by Dr. Edward W Younkins“Gerald Gaus’s The Open Society and Its Complexities (2021) is a response to three theses advanced by Friedrich A. Hayek regarding the Open Society. Hayek’s first thesis is that human beings are not made for a free society. Human evolved psychology makes us xenophobic, parochial, and egalitarian in ways that conflict with the diversity and impartiality of an Open Society. The second thesis is that the operation of institutions in the Open Society is so unclear that we cannot rationally evaluate, critique, or justify that type of society. The third thesis is that the Open Society cannot be governed.” (11/05/26)
https://www.freedomandflourishing.com/2026/11/gerald-gaus-and-open-society.html
- How Tariffs Became the Millstone That Sank the GOP
Source: The Dispatch
by Phillip W Magness“Within hours of Tuesday night’s rout, Vice President J.D. Vance had settled on an explanation: “The reason we lost is the war.” It is a convenient story. The war in Iran is unpopular, and the spike in gasoline prices that came with it certainly didn’t help Republicans. But the war is not what caused the blue wave. Tariffs were the millstone that sank the GOP ticket—and the White House had years of warning.” (11/05/26)
https://thedispatch.com/article/tariffs-midterms-j-d-vance-donald-trump-republicans/
- The Korea Conundrum
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton“Perhaps, when we get right down to it, the threat that Pyongyang and Kim pose to the West is not provided by his dream of the world’s strongest army. Rather, it is one of the strongest arguments still in the world today of what the true fruits of socialism are.” (11/04/26)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2026/11/04/the-korea-conundrum/
- Make bad things bad again
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko“The masked secret police, abductions, murders, and violence against peaceful protesters, weaponization of the DOJ, selling of pardons, terrorizing immigrants, occupations of entire cities, open air bribes, assaults on the free press, weaponization of intelligence, brazen constitutional violations, transparent lying to the courts, white supremacist messaging, white supremacist policy, graft, corrupt diplomacy, and too many other offenses to name — these are unacceptable trespasses on our values. They aren’t mere policy differences between the two major parties. If we don’t make it clear that this administration’s violence, racism, corruption, and crime are aberrant and intolerable, we’ll instead make clear that they’re neither. And we’ll make it easier for the next Trump, the next time around.” (11/04/26)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/make-bad-things-bad-again
- GOP is wounded, not dead, but recovery has to start now
Source: Fox News
by Hugh Hewitt“The GOP isn’t dead, but it sure does look and feel that way in the harsh light of the day after Tuesday’s walloping. The myth of Rasputin is that a Russian monk who pretended to mysticism was poisoned, stabbed, shot, beaten and thrown in a river. He somehow climbed out of the drink and survived. He didn’t. Miraculous recoveries only happen in the movies, as with ‘Boris the Bullet Dodger’ in Guy Ritchie’s beloved ‘Snatch’, which starred Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio del Toro and Dennis Farina. If you are a Republican feeling low after Tuesday night’s nationwide wipeout, ‘Snatch’ is a good viewing choice. If you or your boss lost, you need to have a laugh because there is no crying in baseball or politics. Wipeouts happen, and the GOP isn’t going to suddenly pull itself beaten and bruised out of the Potomac.” (11/05/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/hugh-hewitt-gop-wounded-not-dead-recovery-has-start-now
- The Democrats’ Affordability Trap
Source: The Atlantic
by David A Graham“Across the country, Democratic candidates campaigned and won by railing against Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. When they take control of Congress in January, however, they’ll find themselves with few direct levers to bring down prices. We don’t need to guess what happens to politicians who campaign on affordability and don’t deliver. We saw it last night.” (11/04/26)
- Impeach Pete Hegseth for the Disastrous Iran War
Source: Reason
by Gene Healy“Congress shouldn’t be afraid to remove the secretary of defense for his many war crimes and misdemeanors.” (11/04/26)
https://reason.com/2026/11/04/impeach-pete-hegseth-for-the-disastrous-iran-war/
- The Progressive Agenda: End Iran War, Rein in AI, Get Dems to Actually Do Something
Source: The Intercept
by Akela Lacy“Now that Democrats have secured earth-shattering wins in both chambers of Congress, the party’s progressives are sending a message to their more moderate leaders: It’s time to deliver for voters who are demanding meaningful action.” (11/04/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/11/04/midterms-democrats-agenda-congress-iran-ai/
- The GOP’s Teen Boy Problem is Bigger Than Lindsey Graham.
Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris“In the summer of 2003, at the age of 18, I found myself sitting in the gallery of the US House of Representatives refusing the advances of a 61-year-old congressman. It’s all come to the front of my mind lately, a place from which I am wont to arduously push it, in the wake of three men, one of them only 17 at the time, coming forward to share their experiences being paid for sex by Lindsey Graham.” (11/04/26)
https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/the-gops-teen-boy-problem-is-bigger
- Taxation Without Representation at the Special School District
Source: Show-Me Institute
by David Stokes“The Special School District (SSD) of St. Louis County provides public education for children with special needs throughout St. Louis County and portions of Jefferson County. It is one of two special school districts in Missouri, with the other one being Pemiscot County. (Why Pemiscot County has its own countywide special school district is a topic for another blog post.) Some St. Louis and Jefferson County residents who may not have been that familiar with the district are about to become more familiar, as it just raised its tax rates substantially without a vote of the people.” (11/04/26)
- No, Mayor Mamdani, Voting on Everything Doesn’t Promote Dignity
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Vincent Cook“Being free to cast just one trifling vote among thousands or millions of votes for deciding how to run the breadline, how to assign living quarters, etc. is not some magical ‘power’ that gives you any meaningful control over your own life. Quite to the contrary, it’s the commissars and their enforcers (secret police, neighborhood watch committees, people’s tribunals, etc.) who would exercise a terrifying arbitrary power of life and death over all voters, rendering their voting rights irrelevant and any dignified life under their rule impossible.” (11/04/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/no-mayor-mamdani-voting-everything-doesnt-promote-dignity
- Progressive Caucus Wants to Deliver on Democratic Promises
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen“Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), appearing with four progressives who won in swing seats in the midterms, called for Democrats to pass populist legislation ‘every week’ in the next term focusing on corporate corruption, lower costs, and higher wages. The Progressive Caucus, which expects to welcome at least 25 new members, and will begin the upcoming 120th Congress with more than 100, is putting down an early marker on how Democrats should conduct themselves, with what is likely to be one of the biggest House majorities since the early 1990s. ‘We have won immense amounts of political power, and now is the most important time to deliver to keep that power,’ said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), a vice chair of the caucus and co-chair of the CPC’s political action committee, which spent millions of dollars in swing seats this year.” (11/04/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/11/04/progressive-caucus-wants-to-deliver-on-democratic-promises/
- A Mandate, If You Can Keep It
Source: The Next Move
by Garry Kasparov“Trump says that he accepts the midterm results today. Perhaps this is a case like Hungary and Serbia, where the margins proved too big for Viktor Orban and Aleksandar Vucic to rig. We’ll see what the mercurial president says tomorrow. But who among Trump’s henchmen will stick their necks out for him now? Once seated, the new Congress must ensure there are consequences for the administration’s overreach and malfeasance—even in the unlikely event that Trump keeps up the conciliatory tone. Failure to do so will only invite another, more competent demagogue to attack American democracy.” (11/04/26)
- Trump’s Kakistocracy Lost to Democrats’ Multicultural Meritocracy
Source: The UnPopulist
by Shikha Dalmia“Under authoritarian regimes, F.A. Hayek wrote, the worst get to the top because they are the only ones willing to engage in the kind of depravity that the Dear Leader demands. So this election season, Trump’s Own Party put its dregs on the ballot. By contrast, Democrats leaned into a strategy of liberal inclusion—meritocratic multiculturalism—and ferreted out political talent wherever it existed: Muslims, Hispanics, gays, even a Paralympian. What resulted was a contest between kakistocracy and meritocracy—and kakistocracy lost. Bigly. Even by the standards of authoritarians, Donald Trump is in a class apart—a rational strongman would have helped his party field candidates with the best shot at keeping its grip on Congress, or at least not losing as badly as it did.” (11/04/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/trumps-authoritarianism-gutted-gop
- Politicians Come and Go. The Machinery of Oppression Remains
Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead“After a midterm election that saw billions of dollars spent on political advertising and a Democratic wave sweep Republicans out of power in Congress, Americans have once again been promised a new direction for the country. The voters have spoken. The balance of power in Washington has shifted. A new Congress will have the opportunity to rein in an imperial presidency and hold the government accountable for its abuses. But the question that must rightfully be asked is: what comes next? Will Congress finally rein in the surveillance state, the militarization of the police, the detention machinery, the endless wars, the government spending spree and the corporate interests that profit from the American police state? Or will the politicians settle back into their comfortable routines while the government machine keeps right on running? This is where Hollywood’s dystopian warnings become disturbingly relevant.” (11/04/26)
- A Great Antiwar Victory
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison“The party in power typically loses seats in a midterm election, but the president has to do something catastrophically stupid to provoke a backlash this large. In Trump’s case, it was his decision to start an illegal war of aggression against Iran that destroyed his presidency and wrecked his party. The party running proudly antiwar candidates prevailed, and the mindlessly pro-war party was routed. While there were several reasons for the extensive Republican losses, this was above all a great antiwar victory. … Voters want an end to the war and accountability for the government’s destructive policies. Americans are giving the Democrats a chance to rein in the president’s open corruption and abuses of power. Once the new Congress is in session, the priority has to be forcing an end to the war using the power of the purse.” (11/04/26)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/a-great-antiwar-victory
- Russia Wants To Censor Americans. Why Are US Tech Companies Helping?
Source: Reason
by Jack Verrill“When Russia designated the Human Rights Foundation as ‘undesirable’ earlier this year, the New York City–based nonprofit knew what was coming next. In September, the HRF received a notice demanding it block Russians from accessing its signature Tyranny Tracker. But the notice did not come from Russia; it came from WP Engine, a web hosting company headquartered in Austin, Texas. … The Guaranteeing Rights Against Novel International Tyranny and Extortion (GRANITE) Act aims to stop this. Introduced in the House by Rep. Michael Rulli (R–Ohio) in August and currently sitting in the Judiciary Committee, the bill would confirm in statute that U.S. courts will not enforce foreign censorship orders, and would allow individuals to sue foreign censors for attempting to restrict the protected speech of American citizens. The former is the shield; the latter is the sword.” (11/04/26)
https://reason.com/2026/11/04/russia-wants-to-censor-americans-why-are-u-s-tech-companies-helping/
- Did Voters Get Things Wrong on Tuesday?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Paul Mueller“With another election season behind us, we should revisit some of the great economic and political debates about the merits of voting and electoral politics. While majorities successfully elected candidates and passed referenda across the country on Tuesday, they will likely not be happy with all the effects of their choices on society. Or, to put it another way, the majority got what it wanted, but it is not going to like it.” (11/04/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/did-voters-get-things-wrong-on-tuesday/
- A Plea to the Next Congress
Source: The American Conservative
by Luke Nicastro“We have now entered the ninth month of an asinine and unwinnable conflict prosecuted by the White House in open defiance of the Constitution—which, for those who have forgotten, sagely reserves to Congress the power to declare war. And for all the casuistry and careful word-games of executive branch lawyers, for all the attempts by cabinet officials and congressional leadership to cloud and complicate the obvious, for all the recent protestations of the president himself—usually admirably forthright about the essential warrishness of the war—that this is ‘not a war’ or a ‘soft war,’ it is, in fact, a war. Its commencement without congressional authorization was unlawful; its termination by congressional action is essential if our legislature is to regain its constitutional role (not to mention its institutional self-respect).” (11/04/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-plea-to-the-next-congress/
- Libertarian Angle, 11/05/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Horrors and Fallacies of Socialism with Don Boudreaux.” (11/05/26)
- Checks & Balances, 11/05/26
Source: Checks & Balances
“The Lawyers Fighting Back Against Trump.” (11/05/26)
https://chkbal.substack.com/p/the-lawyers-fighting-back-against
- The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen, 11/05/26
Source: The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen
“‘A Moral and Religious People’: Virtue and Civic Life.” (11/05/26)
https://rosenjeffrey.substack.com/p/a-moral-and-religious-people-virtue
- The Chris Hedges Report, 11/04/26
Source: The Chris Hedges Report
“How the Intl. Community Sold Out Gaza & Killed Itself in the Process (w/ Norm Finkelstein).” (11/04/26)
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/how-the-intl-community-sold-out-gaza
- Advisory Opinions, 11/05/26
Source: The Dispatch
“Legal Ramifications of a Bluenami.” (11/05/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/legal-ramifications-of-a-bluenami/
- The Tom Woods Show, episode 2810
Source: The Tom Woods Show
“The Fed Is Now Trapped by the Math.” (11/04/26)
https://tomwoods.com/ep-2810-the-fed-is-now-trapped-by-the-math/
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 11/04/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Vance, Trump Admit Iran War Cost Midterms, Saudi Strikes Massacre 12 Civilians, and More.” (11/04/26)
- The DMZ, 11/04/26
Source: Washington Monthly
“The morning after the polls closed in the 2026 midterm elections, Washington Monthly Politics Editor Bill Scher and Washington Sun columnist Matt Lewis pored over the results and examined how they impact the futures of the Republican Party and Democratic Party.” (11/04/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/11/04/post-midterm-election-edition-of-the-dmz/
- So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 11/04/26
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“Trump vs. the Smithsonian: Who controls America’s history? w/ Jessica Dickinson Goodman.” (11/04/26)
- Bekah and Tyler Are Still Processing: The Midterm Elections
Source: Roads Go Ever On
“A recording from Bekah Graham and Tyler Harris’s live video.” (11/04/26)
https://bekahgwen.substack.com/p/bekah-and-tyler-are-still-processing
- Reason Roundtable, 11/04/26
Source: Reason
“Did the Midterm Elections Just Kill MAGA?” (11/04/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/11/04/did-the-midterm-elections-just-kill-maga/
- The Good Fight Club, 11/04/26
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Yascha Mounk, Larry Diamond, and Arlie Hochschild debate whether the blue wave marks the end of the MAGA era or merely a pause.” (11/04/26)
- TAC Right Now, 11/04/26
Source: The American Conservative
“Andrew Day, Luke Nicastro, and Juan Rojas discuss the stunning midterm election results, the role of the Iran War in sinking the GOP, and what comes next for Vice President J.D. Vance.” (11/04/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/tac-right-now-election-rout-iran-war-reckoning/
- Rising, 11/04/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar dissecting the Republican’s poor performance in Tuesday’s midterm elections.” (11/04/26)
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 11/04/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Big Blue Blowout: Winners, Losers, And The Way Ahead.” (11/04/26)
- The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 11/04/26
Source: The Dispatch
“You Are Insufficiently Grateful for Modernity | Interview: Chelsea Follett.” (11/04/26)
- The Vital Center, episode 98
Source: Niskanen Center
“Road-tripping through American history, with Beverly Gage.” (11/04/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/road-tripping-through-american-history-with-beverly-gage
- Reason Interview: Virginia Postrel
Source: Reason
“How Capitalism Quietly Revolutionized Everyday Life.” (11/04/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/11/04/how-capitalism-quietly-revolutionized-everyday-life/
- LPA Two Hour Lunch Hour, 11/04/26
Source: LP Alliance
“Join us for our anything goes podcast every Wednesday at noon eastern!” (11/04/26)
- Reasonably Optimistic, 11/04/26
Source: Washington Post
“Did the 2026 midterms put religion back in politics?” (11/04/26)